Osteria Mozza Restaurant Review

: The trio from Pizzeria Mozza --- Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich --- is behind this larger spot right next door, on the corner of Melrose and Highland Avenues. (Also nearby are sister establishments Mozza 2 Go and meat-centric chi SPACCA.) The grey and black toned décor creates a New York atmosphere, even if some patrons wear shorts and hide their identities under baseball caps --- an outfit you’d rarely find in the Big Apple. The action here splits between the mozzarella bar and the cocktail bar, the former offering a half-page of dishes composed of variations of the soft white cheese (mozzarella, burrata, fiore de latte), the latter enhanced by a collection of illuminated bottles. Have your mozzarella seasoned with caramelized shallots, basil, caperberry relish or mint pesto and accompanied by a variety of ingredients such as braised artichokes, prosciutto di Parma, leeks, bacon or celery. Antipasti options include grilled octopus and crispy pigs’ trotters. Continue in the Italian vein with more than a dozen pasta choices, or sample striped bass, grilled quail, lamb or roasted pork, or a 24-ounce, porcini-rubbed, bone-in rib eye. Desserts are simple: torta della nonna, rosemary olive oil cakes with olive oil gelato, and several homemade gelatos and sorbetti. The all-Italian wine list provides a wide array of selections from many regions and in many styles.